St Mary le Strand (The Jewel of the Strand) plays host to the third Strand International Piano Series, further to its launch to great acclaim in the 2022-23 season. The theme of this year's series will be Debussy's Preludes. Composed between 1909 and 1913, these are testament to Debussy's innovative approach to piano music and his mastery of impressionistic techniques. The two books of preludes, each containing twelve pieces, showcase Debussy's ability to evoke vivid imagery, moods, and atmospheres through music.
Pianist
Viv McLean
Programme
Scarlatti - Sonata in F Minor K. 466
Haydn - Sonata in E Flat Hob. XVI/49
Debussy - Two Preludes: Des pas sur la neige & La fille aux cheveux lin
Ravel - Sonatine
Chopin - Scherzo No. 3 in C Sharp Minor Op. 39
About Viv McLean
Described by Le Monde as possessing the genius one finds in those who know how to forget themselves, since winning First Prize at the Maria Canals Piano Competition in Barcelona, British pianist Viv McLean has performed in all the major venues in the UK as well as throughout Europe, Japan, Australia and the USA. Viv’s concerto work includes appearances with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Halle Orchestra, English Chamber Orchestra, BBC Concert Orchestra, Sinfonia Viva, Orchestra of the Swan, Orchestra of St John’s, Northern Chamber Orchestra, Scottish Concert Orchestra and the National Symphony Orchestra under the baton of such conductors as Daniel Harding, Wayne Marshall, John Lubbock, Christopher Warren-Green, Owain Arwell Hughes, Philip Hesketh, David Charles Abell, Stephen Bell, Carl Davis, Rebecca Miller, Chloe Van Soeterstede and Marvin Hamlisch. Recent concerto highlights include Mozart K467 with the ECO at the Royal Festival Hall, Grieg with the LPO at the Barbican, Rachmaninov’s 3rd Concerto with the RPO in Cambridge, Gershwin, Bernstein, de Falla and Ravel with the Hallé at the Bridgewater Hall